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The secrets behind on-field communication in NWSL title game

Becky Sauerbrunn is the anchor of Portland’s backline and lines of communication. (Craig Mitchelldyer/USA TODAY Sports)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The way players on a soccer team are able to anticipate each other’s movements at times can seem like a melding of minds. In other instances, the labor of communication is obvious, as goalkeepers yell out to their backline during clearances and midfield leaders guide their teammates forward.

The Portland Thorns and the Kansas City Current have achieved a combination of both, with verbal and non-verbal communication techniques carrying them all the way to the 2022 NWSL Championship in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.

While both teams communicate at a high level, they differ in their approach. A number of Current players, for example, prefer intuitive movements that rely on team principles and non-verbal connections.

“As much as we try to communicate, sometimes having no answer is an answer enough,” defender Kristen Edmonds says.

Portland players like to problem-solve using check-ins during breaks in the game and clear commands in the heat of the moment. With each tactic, they give their teammates a full picture of what they are seeing on the field.

“The most important communication is the one that’s going to create the most damage,” Thorns defender Meghan Klingenberg says. “So if it seems like something’s going to happen, and it’s going to create big shockwaves, that needs to be the number one priority.”

While each team’s collective approach is not always the same, positionally things line up. There’s an inherent relationship between a player’s ability to see the whole field and responsibility to communicate, which means the hierarchy begins with the goalkeepers.

“Whether we need to make a tactical change, or I’m just seeing maybe a passing lane that’s been open a few times in a row, I try to take chances [to speak] when the game resets,” Thorns keeper Bella Bixby says.

Along the defense, Portland staggers its line of connectivity, with wide players speaking more to the wingers and center-backs communicating with the defensive midfielders. “My communication style is a lot of pointing,” Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn says, and center-back partner Kelli Hubly agrees: “When we all get quiet, then that’s when stuff is probably not going great.”

For Kansas City, body language along the backline is everything. “Non-verbal communication has been a big piece for us throughout the year in season,” Current keeper AD Franch says. “Your demeanor, the way in which you approach things, your movement on the ball, off the ball — those are all different types of communication.”

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Kansas City's AD Franch and Portland's Bella Bixby are vocal throughout games as the last line of defense. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

In the midfield, the ability to size up a full-team defense is paramount when you’re trying to force your opponent into turnovers. Kansas City midfielder Lo’eau Labonta quips that her communication style is “loud,” but specifically notes that she tries to help with pressing triggers, letting players in front of her know that she’s got them covered when they push forward.

“I need to hear voices, especially being in the middle of the park in a stadium that’s filled with 20,000 people,” teammate Desiree Scott says. “I need to hear the people around me to guide me.”

In the attack, most players pride themselves on being good listeners. With the breakneck speed of NWSL play, you often just have to trust what you hear from the players behind you. “As a center forward, you really don’t see a lot,” Thorns striker Sophia Smith says. “You check your shoulder, but you can only see so much.”

Forwards gesture whether or not they want the ball at their feet, but more often than not, a perfectly timed run hinges on the ability to read tendencies. To receive the ball, attackers have to turn back and watch play develop behind them, which can leave them vulnerable to challenges or turnovers.

“Obviously, we don’t have eyes in the back of our head, so it’s hard to know what’s going on around you at all times,” Current forward Elyse Bennett says. “So having people in the midfield behind me to kind of communicate where I can press or where I can put off angles is huge, because it saves me from looking behind myself all the time.”

Outside the lines, the managers try to make sure that their instruction isn’t heavy-handed. Thorns coach Rhian Wilkinson and Current coach Matt Potter each singled out one of the main barriers to communicating: crowd noise. Managers can try to project, but as attendance throughout the league rises, they have to pick their moments, including when to call players over to the sidelines for in-game instruction.

“Something maybe I wasn’t ready for as a female coach was — no one ever talked about it to me — it was how you strain your voice,” Wilkinson says, calling her attempts to shout from the coaches box “useless” as her voice disappears every game. “If they don’t want to come to the bench because of whatever reason, I trust their leadership to take care of it.”

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Current coach Matt Potter trusts his players to problem-solve when he can't pull them over during games. (Amy Kontras/USA TODAY Sports)

Potter focuses on breaks in play and halftime, and when the noise gets too overwhelming, he relies on his team to problem-solve on their own. “We trust our players, and we try to give them as much autonomy to be the decision-makers as they possibly can,” he says.

Across the board, players agree that encouragement is as equally valuable as commands, especially as the clock winds down.

“If someone needs to press, I want to tell them that I’m with them so that they can go fully,” Hubly says. “Because when you hear someone behind you going, ‘Go, go, I’m with you,’ you’re going to be like, ‘OK, cool. I’m going to go as hard as I can.’”

“I’m big on energy,” adds Scott. “And I think that kind of encouragement really helps you continue on, especially when the momentum of the game can change.”

As both teams focus intently on their own processes, don’t expect much crosstalk on Saturday. Players say they don’t usually notice chatter from their opponent, outside of formational changes and negative emotions.

“I don’t hear [opponents],” Klingenberg says, “unless they’re being complete assholes to each other.”

“I only hear if they’re being negative towards each other,” Kansas City wingback Hailie Mace says. “I think that kind of lights a fire and I’m like, ‘Let’s go. We got into their heads.’”

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Gotham FC Signs Record-Breaking Sponsorship Deal with Dove

Emily Sonnett shows off the new Dove sponsorship above her last name on her Gotham jersey.
Dove's partnership with Gotham is the brand's first major investment in a women's sports team. (Gotham FC)

Gotham and Dove are teaming up, with the 2023 NWSL champs signing a record-setting multi-year kit partnership with the beauty brand on Thursday.

As Dove's first major investment in a women's sports team, the move also ranks as the highest-ever back-of-jersey sponsorship deal in NWSL history.

While Gotham did not provide specific numbers, the contract surpasses Bay FC's then-record $500,000 deal with private equity giant Sixth Street.

Dove joins Gotham in fight to keep girls in sports

The partnership is a part of Gotham's "Keep Her in the Game" initiative, a community effort launched last August to help adolescent girls stay in sports. Dove will serve as the program's presenting sponsor.

"Dove is the ultimate leader in female strength and empowerment, and we could not be prouder to partner with the brand in a number of impactful ways," Gotham FC chief business officer Ryan Dillon said in the team's release. "We are excited to team up with Dove to create key pathways for young female athletes to stay in sports, develop confidence, and become strong future leaders."

"The partnership is taking effect at a crucial time when supporting girls in sports has never been more important."

With girls twice as likely as boys to abandon sports by age 14, "Keep Her in the Game" aims to bolster young athletes' resilience and amplify the joy and connection that happens on and off the playing field.

After impacting 30 local New Jersey and New York youth clubs and more than 500 players in 2024, the initiative is aiming to double its reach in 2025. It will also pass the proverbial mic to the young athletes themselves by creating a Youth Leadership Council.

"The data is clear: Sports build confidence, leadership skills and resilience in young women, benefiting them for years to come," stated Laura DiMiceli, the head of personal care sports marketing for Dove's parent company, Unilever North America. "Dove is committed to supporting 'Keep Her in the Game' as part of our overall mission to help young girls pursue sports and keep playing the games they love."

Unrivaled to Crown First-Ever 1v1 Tournament Champion

Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier dribbles the ball during an Unrivaled game.
Napheesa Collier is one of four Unrivaled players competing for the 1v1 tournament's $200,000 prize. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball will crown its first-ever 1v1 tournament champion on Friday night, when all four semifinalists take the court with a $200,000 grand prize on the line.

Vinyl guard Arike Ogunbowale will kick off the semis against Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards, before Unrivaled co-founder and Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier faces Rose forward Azurá Stevens. The victors will immediately advance to the night's best-of-three final series.

Notably, Friday's set puts alma mater pride on center court. A trio of UConn alums in Collier, Stevens, and Edwards will all clock in, while Ogunbowale reps Notre Dame — one of just three teams to beat the Huskies this NCAA season.

Along with those priceless bragging rights, the semifinalists are battling for a six-figure payday, though none will leave empty-handed. Each are guaranteed at least $25,000, with $50,000 on deck for the tournament's runner-up.

The players' Unrivaled teammates will also be watching with interest, as the winner's entire 3×3 team will snag $10,000 each.

Though 1v1 can feel like a schoolyard version of basketball, with this much money involved, expect the competition to rise miles above playground tussles.

Rose BC's Angel Reese defends Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards during an Unrivaled game.
Aaliyah Edwards is one of three UConn alums in the Unrivaled 1v1 semifinals. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Endurance could decide Unrivaled 1v1 tournament champion

Friday's format is in part a test of stamina, as players stare down a grueling schedule where the eventual winner must play either three or four 1v1 games in a single night.

To that end, Collier's elite conditioning could make her the favorite, if she can outlast Stevens in the pair's semifinal.

"Her motor is unmatched," Stevens said of Collier's endurance, a key factor in her success so far. "I try to conserve some energy in between possessions, especially when the games get really tiring."

Motors aside, Friday's title will boil down to fundamentals — and which athlete best leverages their personal skillset.

"I have to use my size and stick to my strengths," said Edwards. "It’s about imposing my will and getting the job done."

How to watch the Unrivaled 1v1 tournament finals

The inaugural Unrivaled 1v1 tournament concludes on Friday. Live coverage begins at 7:30 PM ET on TNT.

USC Beats UCLA as JuJu Watkins Ends Bruins’ Undefeated NCAA Season

USC's JuJu Watkins drives to the basket between UCLA's Janiah Barker and Elina Aarnisalo.
Watkins scored 38 points to hand UCLA their first loss of the season. (Robert Hanashiro/Imagn Images)

The last perfect DI basketball season has officially fallen, as USC phenom JuJu Watkins put up a historic performance to lead the No. 6 Trojans to a 71-60 win over then-undefeated No. 1 UCLA on Thursday.

Watkins finished the night with 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and eight blocks, becoming the first DI player to register an overall stat-line so robust in 20 years.

"It took everything. It's been a rough couple weeks for me," Watkins said after the game, referencing uncharacteristic performances leading up to Thursday's rivalry matchup. "To be able to kind of snap back into it and get into my rhythm here at Galen versus UCLA, it's really all I could ask for."

"I'm really just like a kid out there and living out my dream."

Throughout the back-and-forth battle, Watkins's consistency made all the difference. She scored every one of USC's 14 second-quarter points, and helped lead a monster fourth quarter in which the Trojans slammed the door by outscoring the Bruins 24-8.

"I didn't teach JuJu any of that," commented USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb after the game. "[I] just try to put her in situations to be her best self, and she does most of that work. What I was so impressed with tonight, obviously, was just the mentality she came out with."

With the marquee win, USC now sits firmly atop the Big Ten. That said, UCLA will have a chance to avenge the loss in the pair's March 1st rematch, when that final regular-season game could decide the conference title.

Until then, the Trojans will be riding high on their Thursday night dominance.

"We'll never forget this night," Gottlieb said. "It's as good as anything I've ever seen."

UConn star Paige Bueckers dribbles the ball during a game.
UConn takes on South Carolina on Sunday. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

How to watch Top 10 NCAA basketball this weekend

With no undefeated teams left in DI basketball, Watkins's performance has put the field on notice to not make any assumptions about who might end up on top.

While Sunday will see USC roll against unranked Washington and UCLA try to bounce back against No. 22 Michigan State, the NCAA slate will also serve up two huge Top 10 matchups.

First, No. 7 UConn will take their final major regular-season test when they visit No. 4 South Carolina at 1 PM ET, when Paige Bueckers and the Huskies will aim to pull off a similarly impressive USC-inspired upset.

Then at 3 PM ET, No. 5 LSU heads to No. 3 Texas, where the Tigers will hunt their first win over the Longhorns in more than 22 years.

Both elite meetings are set to air live on ABC.

Pro Women’s Lacrosse League Debuts at WLL Championship Series

A promotional graphic for the WLL Championship Series.
The WLL played its first-ever pro games at this week's Lexus Championship Series. (ESPN)

The brand-new professional Women's Lacrosse League (WLL) made its official debut this week just outside of Washington, DC, where its first-ever game saw the New York Charging take down the Maryland Charm 14-13 in the WLL Championship Series.

After the inaugural Tuesday result, the action continued on Wednesday, when the California Palms opened their WLL account by getting the better of the Boston Guard in a tight 16-15 matchup.

Founded and run by the Premier Lacrosse League, the WLL fosters top-level competition as the sport gears up for its 2028 Olympic return.

The four-team WLL Championship Series follows an Olympic-style "sixes" format. Unlike traditional lacrosse, which uses a larger pitch and 10 athletes per team, sixes employs a condensed field with six players per side.

In the Championship Series, teams are first competing in three round-robin games to determine semifinal seedings. The tournament will culminate with the knockout semifinal and final rounds on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

Team USA lacrosse star Charlotte North gestures during a 2022 World Championship game.
Team USA star Charlotte North competes for the WLL's Boston Guard. (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)

WLL looks to level up lacrosse ahead of 2028 Olympics

Despite the competition's quick turnaround, the WLL represents a growing professionalization movement in women's lacrosse — with all involved betting big on the sport's Olympic success in LA.

When lacrosse steps back onto the Olympic stage in 2028, it will have been 80 years since its last 1948 outing — and even then, it was merely a demonstration event. The last time the sport earned medals was in 1908.

Furthermore, the sport's entire Olympic history rests in the men's game — 2028 will see women take the Olympic lacrosse pitch for the first time ever.

"We are honored to be a part of the WLL, and we couldn't be more excited to bring this game to the fans in new ways than ever before," said Boston Guard star Charlotte North in a league statement.

"We firmly believe that this is the beginning of what will be a monumental movement in the game of professional women's lacrosse, and for female athletes around the globe.... It's our time."

Former Northwestern lacrosse star Izzy Scane shoots the ball during an NCAA game.
Izzy Scane, the NCAA DI lacrosse career scoring leader, plays for the New York Charging. (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

How to watch the WLL Championship Series

The tournament's round-robin play continues with the Maryland Charm facing off against the Boston guard at 9 PM ET on Thursday, before the California Palms contend with the New York Charging at 6 PM ET on Friday.

All WLL Championship Series games will stream live on ESPN+, with Sunday's and Monday's knockout rounds airing live on ESPN2.

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